Last month was Rainbow’s 1st birthday. To celebrate, Hubby and I organized a Minion-themed birthday. Aside from the Minion watermelon, cupcakes and party favours, I wanted something else that said “minion”. Of course, I went on Pinterest, and found a recipe for candied popcorn. I tweaked it a little bit with flavours and colours to match the yellow and purple minion theme. Here is the recipe below;

INGREDIENTS

12 cups of popped popcorn, divided into 6 cup portions.

Grape and Lemon jello (not sugar free)

1 Cup White Sugar (2-1/2 cup portions)

8 tbsp Butter (2-4 tbsp portions)

6 tbsp Liquid Clear Corn Syrup (2-3 tbsp portions)

Food Colouring

Parchment Paper

Clear Cello Bags

Blue & Black Ribbon

Googly eyes

DIRECTIONS

Over medium low heat, boil sugar, grape jello, 3 tbsp corn syrup, and 4 tbsp butter. When mixed, add a few drops of purple food colouring and 6 cups of popcorn. I added the popcorn in the pot while the heat is still on as I found the liquid mixture tosses better with the popcorn.

Transfer the mixture onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and spread into a thin layer. Bake at 250 F for 15 minutes.

Repeat with the lemon jello.

Once the popcorn is cooled, break into smaller pieces.

Glue googly eyes onto empty cello bag, alternating from 1 to 2 eyes, depending on the type of minions you are creating.

Fill 10 cello bags with the lemon candied popcorn and 10 with the grape.

Close the bags with the blue ribbon on the lemon popcorn and the black ribbon on the grape.

We are going to the beach,
to the Beach, to the beach,
We are going to the beach,
in our bathing suits.
We will find there rocks and shells,
Rocks and shells, Rocks and Shells.
We will find there rocks and shells,
to gather by the water.
We will build a sand castle,
Sand castle, sand castle,
we will build a sand castle,
with bridges and a tower.
We will have a picnic too,
picnic too, picnic too,
We will have a picnic too,
With Sandwiches and oranges.
Home we head with Sunburned Cheeks,
Sunburned Cheeks, Sunburned Cheeks,
Home we head with sunburned Cheeks,
and treasures from our visit.

I often think of my childhood and all the things my parents did and the memories that I will keep for the rest of my life. I want to create memories for my children so when they are older, they will look back and have fond memories of growing up too.
When I was young, my dad always took me fencing. Not the fencing with the sword and the white suits and face masks, the ‘build a fence’ fencing. It would always be on a summer weekend, hot and sticky from the humidity. I would have to wear jeans with closed toe shoes for protection from sticks, wire and logs. The entire time I would be helping him, he would quiz me on which pickets go where, what their names were and in what order they go in. I would sort logs based on size, lug full gas containers from the truck to the fence, and pass him the chainsaw, wire and axes whenever he needed them. I was working and being quizzed the entire time but I can say that it was one of my favourite things to do with my Dad. Last summer when I went home to visit for a few weeks, I eagerly volunteered to help him build fence. The Princess even helped. Dad said he’s never been asked so many questions in his life!
I may not build fence with the Princess and the Rainbow, but Hubby and I try to make special memories with them, things that they will remember forever. Last year the Princess discovered money. She hasn’t mastered the full concept of it but she knew enough that it was something you needed. So I made her a deal, any spare change she found around our home, she could have and put in her piggy bank. I was going to wait until Hubby got home to tell him but the Princess beat me to the punch.
“Daddy, Mama said I could keep the money I find on the floor,” she squealed.
“Didn’t you know that leprechauns come at midnight and leave that money around the house for you to find?” The Princess’ eyes lit up.
“Oh Daddy, we are waking up tonight to find them,” and she starting jumping with utter excitement.
“Yea we will do that,” he said.
Now I am all for telling children about Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth-fairy to add some whimsy to children’s lives but Hubby makes up fantastical stories and it makes me think ‘why did you say that?’ Once he told her we found her in a box and she told everyone!
Later on in the evening, the Princess would not stop reminding Hubby that come midnight, they were hunting for gold coins and leprechauns. He nodded but you could tell that he didn’t think she was serious.
“You know you are going to have to get up with her and find these coins right,” I said.
“What? She’ll be asleep and forget all about it,” he shrugged.
“You cannot tell her that little green men from a magical place come in the middle of the night and deposit money throughout our home and you will hunt for them with her and then not do it,” I argued.
“Ah crap. I don’t want to get up in the middle of the night.”
“Well perhaps you should have thought of that before you told her.”
After she went to bed, I went to local Bulk Barn and purchased chocolate coins for him to lay around the house for them to find. Sure enough at midnight, the Princess was up and ready to search for money. Hubby did this with her 2 nights in a row. Despite the late night, the Princess was so happy and excited that she had leprechauns that visited her home and left her coins.
Hubby is always doing something ‘magical’ for the Princess. If it isn’t buying ‘magical’ rocks from eBay or pulling Kinderegg’s from her ears, he’s always been able to add a little magic to her world and I am quite grateful for that.
It’s my turn for a little magic. Last week the Princess got an intestinal tract infection from a class trip to a farm and was the sickest I have ever seen her. As a result, she is still isn’t her usual self. So to lift her spirits, I have written a letter from Tinkerbell and I will be mailing it tomorrow. I know she will get a huge kick out of receiving mail for one and that it is from one of her favourite characters will be the cherry on top. I am hoping it will turn into a regular thing and I will keep all the letters as a keepsake so I can show her when she’s older.
My biggest wish for the Princess and eventually the Rainbow is that they will look back and now that Hubby and I really tried to make their worlds brighter and happier and how truly loved they really are. I know that even as my Dad worked and quizzed me, that those memories of working on the fences are memories I look back on with fondness. And while I may not be able to build a fence myself, I still know the names of the rails.

I was running errands this morning and in the store I came across a section of clearance Easter craft items. For only $5, I was able to create the Angry Birds Easter Egg Game! I am positive that my daughter will love this game as she LOVES Angry Birds and it will be the only time I willingly allow eggs to be tossed around our home.

SUPPLIES

Plastic Filler Eggs

Angry Birds Eggcessory Stickers

Small Pebbles (or something to weigh down the “birds”)

Building Blocks or Lego

Tape

INSTRUCTIONS

Decorate the plastic filler eggs with the Angry Bird stickers to make yourself a batch of pigs and birds.

Fill you “birds” with something to weigh them down such as pebbles, or marbles and tape the seal shut. You don’t want them to be rock solid, but heavy enough to take down the blocks.